Haul 8th June 2015 to 14th June 2015

Its been a relatively quiet week on the book obtaining front but we both have books to haul and we are excited to get to reading them! Below are the books we obtained, you can click the pictures to get more information on them.


Ann:


The Pointless Book and The Pointless Book 2 by Alfie Deyes - Both of these were included in the 3 for £10 offer on Amazon so we got them with I Am the Messenger (below).

Clare: 


Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski - I actually had a e-copy of this from NetGalley but I usually prefer to read the physical copy. This just sounds like it could be a fun read and I plan to get to it quite soon.
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider - I really loved The Beginning of Everything/Severed Heads, Broken Hearts. It was a very different read (I always hesitate to say this but recommend it if you like John Green/Stephen Chbosky) and I have been looking forward to reading this.
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey - Both Ann and I have already read this (review to come). I really liked her Drake Chronicles series and Haunting Violet.
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak - This sounds very, very different from The Book Thief which is a book I adore but its been calling out to me for ages and it was included in Amazons' 3 books for £10 offer so I took the plunge.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab - There are very few books I can honestly say I've heard nothing bad about but this is one of them. Seriously. Nothing. Bad. Illusive is coming out late this month so I thought I'd read the two together since they are both about super-powers.

Ann Reviews: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

Title: Girl Online

Author: Zoe Sugg

Rating: 5/5

Blurb:Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, high school drama, her crazy family, and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets Noah, a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret, too, one that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I am a fan of Zoe Sugg. After I read it I understood why lots of people loved it. I even decided that I was going to reread it the day after I had read it the first time. It most definitely did not disappoint. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

The main character Penny was a very well described character who you could relate too. She wasn’t just a character in a book she was a real person who had real problems. She also helped me understand what it is like for people who suffer from anxiety attacks. I also thought that the love interest Noah was a very complicated character that had a lot of secrets that he was hiding but there were a few hints that were very subtly put into the story that you don’t notice until you read it a second time and know what his secret was. All the characters were really well described and they didn’t just feel like characters in a story.

I thought that the plot of Girl Online was great and it didn’t give away too much information, as it developed so you couldn’t figure out what Noah’s secret unless you read the whole book. Although it could have developed better, instead of most of the action happening at the end of the book.

The places in the book were really well described. While reading the descriptions of the place you could really see the places that were being described. The description of Brighton was easier to imagine than the description of New York but that is probably because it is easier to describe a place that it is right in front of you  rather than a place you have only been to a couple of times.

Overall it was a great book and I would recommend that you read it. I have already told some of my friends about it and recommended that they read it.

Friday Reads 12th June

Ann: Currently reading Lawless by Jeffrey Salane. Picked this up as a quick read but am actually really enjoying this. Hoping to finish it by tomorrow and I will then be reading Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey and then The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg.


Clare: I have just started Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan and I hope I'll finish it tonight but if not then definitely tomorrow. I also plan to read a couple of short stories from Love Hurts compiled by Malorie Blackman. I am currently about 250 pages in to Mansfield Park and Mummies by Jane Austen and Vera Nazarian. I dont know if I will finish this at the weekend but I will try. And then if I have time I will be reading I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore which I am super excited for.

Clare Reviews: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Title: Wicked Lovely

Author: Melissa Marr

Series: Wicked Lovely

Rating: 2/5

Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world, and would blind her if they knew of her Sight.

Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention.

But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King and has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost…

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working any more, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

When the words "I had to force myself through it" are used in reference to a book its probably not the best sign. There are five books in the Wicked Lovely series. I managed four and a half before I reached breaking point. Don't get me wrong, I understand why this is a popular series and I appreciate all the faery details.

But here's the thing, too much detail with not enough explanation doesn't make for great world building. I've read a few faery stories so I understood most (though definitely not all) of the references, but somebody going into this with no prior knowledge would probably be incredibly confused, and making great use of google. I loved the idea of the courts and before I read this everything I had heard led me to believe I would love it.

In addition to some not-so-great-world-building there were the characters. This time I think it may be more of a personal thing, the characters do develop and some of them were interesting. But some of them were also kind of bland. Which in a side character might not be such a big issue. But if I don't like or particularly care about the main character (Ash in this case) and if the romantic interest exists only to be a romantic interest (I know he gets more important later in the series but I have barely got to that point and don't think I will get any further than I currently am) then I am just not going to be wildly excited to find out what happens.

All in all I found this series to be a little disappointing. I do have two other Melissa Marr books on my shelf (Graveminder and Made For You) which are not, I don't think, faery related. I will hopefully give them a go at some point in the future but I don't think I will be finishing this series.

If you are interested in reading a faery series then I strongly recommend Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston which I read and loved quite a while ago and my sister Ann would like to put forward The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, I will be taking her advice and reading that series next. 

Disney Book Tag

The Disney Book Tag was created by Katytastic (You can find her video here) . Since we love Disney and we love books we thought we'd give this a try.

1) The Little Mermaid- A character who is out of their element, a "fish out of water".
Ann: For this one I picked Meghan from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. She has to go from the "normal" world into the faery world which is not her element.
Clare: I chose Lilac LaRoux from These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. She comes from a really priveleged, safe world and the events of the book take her so far from that and she has to find a way to cope.

2) Cinderella - A character who goes through a major transformation.
Ann: Clary from the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. She becomes stronger throughout the series and learns so much about herself and her powers.
Clare: I had to go for Elisa from the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson. The girl she is at the end of the series is so, so different from who she was at the start, she goes through so much and it changes her. She is so much stronger by book 3.

3) Snow White - A book with an eclectic cast of characters.
Ann: Magyk by Angie Sage, all the characters have different specialties and personalities, its what makes it such a great book, no two characters are the same.
Clare: I went for what is possibly an obvious answer, the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. All the characters are so unique and wonderful and I loved reading about all of them.

4) Sleeping Beauty - A book that put you to sleep.
Ann: Suspicion by Alexandra Monir, I just gave up on that book because it was just so dull. To be fair I got a great nap out of it!
Clare: I struggled with this a bit at first but I decided to pick the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. I am reading it at the moment and I am just not making any progress.

5) The Lion King - A character who had something traumatic happen to them in childhood.
Ann: Harry Potter, when he was 2 his parents were murdered and almost murdered himself. And if that wasn't traumatic enough he then had to grow up with the Dursleys.
Clare: Caelena from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. I cant go into it without spoilers but wow. Kinda traumatic.

6) Beauty and the Beast - A beast of a book (a big book) that you were intimidated by but found the story to be beautiful.
Ann: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, it was so daunting when I was 11 that I got Clare to read it to me instead. But in the end I loved it.
Clare: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It was my first Dickens and I tried a couple of times to read it but failed because it was so daunting but when I finally did it I found I loved it and now it's one of my favourites.

7) Aladdin - A character who gets their wish granted for better or worse.
Ann: Lila from Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson. She wishes for her brother's best friend to fall for her but when he does its in the middle of a terrible situation.
Clare: I cheated a little for this and went for As You Wish by Jackson Pearce which is an actual wish granting. The main character in it, Viola, gets a Jinn to grant three wishes. But all does not go to plan.

8) Mulan - A character who pretends to be someone or something they are not.
Ann: Katniss Everdeen, she pretends to be in love with Peeta to gain audience support. There are a lot of times during the books when events force her to be someone she is not.
Clare: Anna from The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson. This is one of all time favourite books and Anna has to be a maid in a household in England because of the russian revolution.

9)  Toy Story - A book with characters you wish would come to life.
Ann: Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, me and my friends all loved this book and the characters and it would be so great to meet them.
Clare: Harry Potter. This series is so much a part of me and my childhood. But it just occurred to me I'd have to be really selective, I dont think anybody wants Voldemort to come to life.

10) Disney Descendants - Your favourite villain or morally ambiguous character.
Ann: Sebastian from The Mortal Instruments. Even though I was supposed to hate him I wound up loving his character because he is so well written and complex and so interesting.
Clare: Warner from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. I really hated him in the first book but by the end of the second book I was completely rooting for him and by the end of the third I was completely in love with him. Such a great character.

Most Anticipated Reads of Summer (June, July and August)

So my pre-orders on Amazon are already telling me that Autumn is going to be a huge season for book releases and honestly my bank balance and I are kinda nervous. But Summer is also shaping up to be a fairly great reading season. Below are my eight most anticipated, they are in order of release date. And all release dates are for the UK.

1) The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen, due for release 16th June
Don’t get mad, get even!
In the small town of Ranburne, high school football rules and the players are treated like kings. How they treat the girls they go to school with? That’s a completely different story. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana each have their own reason for wanting to teach the team a lesson—but it’s only when circumstances bring them together that they come up with the plan to steal the one thing the boys hold sacred. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.    

"I love revenge books. Something about them just draws me in and this one sounds a little like John Tucker Must Die. "

2)  Illusive by Emily Lloyd Jones, due for release 25th June   
  When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.  

"Superpowers are a definite yes! And super powered criminals are just so much more interesting than super heroes!"            

3) The Baby by Lisa Drakeford, due for release 2nd July  
         When Olivia opens the bathroom door, the last thing she expects to see is her best friend Nicola giving birth on the floor - and to say Nicola is surprised is an understatement. She's not ready to be a mum, and she needs Olivia's help. But Olivia has her own problems - specifically her bullying boyfriend, Jonty, and keeping an eye on younger sister Alice. And then there's Nicola's friend Ben, who's struggling with secrets of his own.

"I only recently heard of this one so its probably cheating to say I've been anticipating it when in reality I read the blurb last week. But this just sounds like such an interesting premise and a baby! I love fictional babies!"

4) The Accident Season by Moira Fowley Doyle due for release 2nd July

It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

"This sounds very inrriguing. I am so keen to know what causes the accident season. This seems like such an original idea."

5) Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger, due for release 2nd July

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with - secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand - a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually 'like' him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

"I read and enjoyed Kody Keplinger's other books (including The DUFF) and I love that their all set in the same school, so there is always the hope for previous characters to pop up."

6) The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani, due for release 21st July

Can Agatha and Sophie find the perfect ending to their story in this epic conclusion to this bestselling series.

"This is a sequel so I don't want to spoil the plot of the previous books by looking at the blurb. I haven't read the first two although I do own them, because I've been wanting to marathon the series. So as soon as this is out I will be jumping right on them!"

7) Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell, due for release 13th August

Nicolette's awful stepsisters call her Mechanica to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother's knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have pushed her into a life of dreary servitude. When she discovers a secret workshop in the cellar on her sixteenth birthday-and befriends Jules, a tiny magical metal horse-Nicolette starts to imagine a new life for herself. And the timing may be perfect: There's a technological exposition and a royal ball on the horizon. Determined to invent her own happily-ever-after, Mechanica seeks to wow the prince and eager entrepreneurs alike.

"This is possibly my most anticipated release of the Summer. I have been looking forward to this for so, so long. I am a sucker for retelling's - if a book is a retelling of a fairy tale I am pretty much guaranteed to read it. And this one has the added benefit of a seriously gorgeous cover."

8) Maid of Wonder by Jennifer McGowan, due for release 25th August

Sophia Dee, the most unusual spy of Queen Elizabeth’s Maids of Honor, has run out of time for her psychic skills to fully manifest. A terrible new prophecy now haunts Windsor Castle, and the Queen demands answers before the next doomed soul dies.

Thrust into a dangerous and horrifying competition to solve the deadly prediction, Sophia finds herself pitted against the most celebrated mystics of Europe: John Dee, her devious uncle and the Queen’s personal astrologer. . . and Nostradamus, the renowned prophet-seer of France.

In a court where whispers of witchcraft, poisonous plots, and grim assassins threaten her at every turn, Sophia needs answers fast. But does she dare trust Marcus Quinn, her uncle’s striking and over-ambitious assistant? Or, instead, should she turn to the tortured dark angel of the spirit realm, who whispers to her only of sorrow and death?

As new dangers surface and dire prophecy sweeps toward its final victim, the five Maids of Honor prepare to do battle. Only then will the girl who so often sees the future finally discover if she can save the Crown—and herself. 

"This is the third in the series although they are really more companion novels since each book follows a different Maid of Honour. Maid of Secrets is the first and Maid of Deception the second. I really enjoyed both the first books especially since the main characters were so different from each other and what I have seen of Sophia so far seems different again and very interesting. The Tudor period is also probably my favourite historical period to read about."